Bicycle seat system

Abstract

A seat system for providing a substantially normal contact angle between the seat and the ischial tuberosities of a rider seated thereupon. The seat system includes variable padding that is configured to generally cooperate with the physiology of the rider. The padding is secured to a base that includes a pair of rails extending from an underside of the base. The rails are attached to permit controlled motion of the seat during pedaling operation in response to the change in orientation of the rider's physiology relative to the seat. The deflection of the seat cooperates with the motion of the rider's physiology through a substantial portion of a rider's pedaling motion.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates generally to bicycles and, more particularly, to a bicycle seat system including a number of seat configurations that can be associated with a given rider's anatomical structure to enhance the user's cycling experience.[0002]Many bicycle riders experience discomfort related to the bicycle seat. The multitude of bicycle seats on the market attests to the wide range of rider preferences and suggests that the final solution has not yet been found. Seat comfort depends on many factors, among them, the compliance or firmness of the padding, the appropriate seating surface shape, and cooperation with the rider's motion.[0003]The thickness of padding along with the density or firmness of the padding has an effect on comfort. Generally, increased pressure between the rider's body and the seat results in increased discomfort for the rider. The opposite is also true: decreasing pressure generally results in decreased discomfort. I...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0013]Another aspect of the invention that includes one or more of the aspects discussed above discloses a bicycle seat system that includes a base and a pad that overlies the base. The pad and the base each have a selected lateral radius of curvature that corresponds to a rider's lateral ischial tuberosity spacing to provide a substantially normal contact angle between each ischial tuberosity and the base. Such a construction provides a seat system that transfers the rider's weight to the bicycle seat in a manner which provides support of the rider at a preferred lateral spacing on the pelvic bones while limiting the tangential force interaction between the rider and the seat.

[0014]A further aspect of the invention incorporating one or more of the aspects above is directed to a bicycle seat having a base, a first rail, and a second rail. The base includes an upper side for facing a rider and an underside for facing a vehicle. Th

Problems solved by technology

Many bicycle riders experience discomfort related to the bicycle seat.

Generally, increased pressure between the rider's body and the seat results in increased discomfort for the rider.

However, such seats invariably must increase the pressure elsewhere on the body because the same portion of the rider's body weight is now supported over a decreased surface area, thus increasing the pressure on the parts of the body that remain in contact with the remaining surface of the seat.

Thicker and/or softer padding can have soothing effects initially, since the peak pressures are reduced on the rider's body, but padding that is too soft or thick can create new discomfort after a short time because the softer and/or thicker padding can deform into other areas of the rider's body, adding pressure to areas that then become uncomfortable.

Yet another source of seat discomfort that is unaccounted for in many seat designs is the natural movement of the rider.

This natural movement of the pelvis may contribute to discomfort through a shearing or scrubbing stress between the rider and the seat surface, and through a cyclic increase and decrease of the pressure between the rider's leg and the top surface and outer edges of the seat.

A seat that does not move sufficiently with the rider can cause discomfort by interfering with the rider's leg, for example as the leg approaches the bottom of a pedal stroke, or by shearing or scrubbing motion, or by contact rubbing between the relative motion of the rider's leg as it moves past a seat that does not cooperate with the rider's motion.

Another source of discomfort on some bicycle seats is that skeletal dimensions differ from one individual to the next.

A rider whose pelvic dimensions are mismatched to the seat's dimensions can experience discomfort as a result.

For example, it can be uncomfortable for a rider w

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